TAMPA, Fla. - Once school wraps for the day, participants in the YMCA's Fit and Fun after-school program can burn off some energy.
"This is brand new, as well bringing technology into the health and wellness with kids," said Nicole Kettermann, the YMCA healthy and safe children director.
Kids in this program get a Fitbit.
"Each one was able to get a Fitbit from the beginning of the program. What we're trying to do is track steps or activity minutes and their goal is 13,000 steps a day, or up to 60 minutes a day of activity, seven days a week.”
It's stirred some healthy competition for kids, like 9-year-old Eaon McQuade.
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Tampa Y has fun fitness opportunities for kids
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"It's kind of fun because you get to challenge your friends to see who gets the most steps," he explained.
"He loves it. He likes the fact that he can see how many steps he takes, He'll compare them to what we do," said Eaon's mother, Arelys McQuade.
The program comes with adult supervision and that's important, especially with more health apps and technology being geared towards kids.
"We don't want kids to get some type of negative self-esteem issue because of the technology,” Kettermann pointed out.
"I'm just concerned that it wouldn't be age-appropriate, I wouldn't want him to try something that would end up hurting him," Arelys offered.
"I think it's a bigger picture. I think the tech could be supportive but I think parents just need to be involved,” Kettermann continued.
Modern-day advances can help with motivation without taking away the old-school fun.
"Technology has become such a big part of kids’ worlds...they are always on some type of technology. So to be able to incorporate that into their health and wellness could be a really big thing,” added Ketterman.
Thanks to the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, the Fit and Fun program is offered to after-schoolers at no cost at YMCA Camp Cristina, Bob Sierra North Tampa YMCA, and the Northwest Hillsborough Family YMCA.
LINKS:
For more information about the YMCA programs: https://www.tampaymca.org/
For more information about the Fit and Fun program, email Nicole Kettermann at Nicole.Kettermann@TampaYMCA.Org